Charles slawson



TED sTATEs PATENT oEEcE,

CHARLES SLAW'SON, OF NORWICH, NEV YORK, ASSIGNOR TO REUBEN LYON.

LEATHER-Danssrner MACHINE.

Specification of Letters Patent ,Nog 6,875, dated November 13, 1849'.

To aZZ'wz-om t may concern Be it known that I, CHARLES SLAwsoN, of Norwich, in the county of Chenango andA State of New York, have invented a newl passing of the tanned hide or leather over an g endless ,adjustable apron and beneath a spreader and between adjustable revolving` rollers by which means I am enabled to scrape, compress, smooth down and make even the surface and more compact the body of the tanned skin and thus prepare the leather for its completing andv finishing. ,process-1n a more expeditious and better manner 'than under the older and more` l surface for nearly its whole length under usual methods and' means now in use.

To enable others skilled in the art t-o make vand use my invention I will proceed to' describe its construction and operation, referring to the drawing accompanying and making part of this specification.

I construct a frame (Fig. 2) of four or more upright posts using such a number as may be required to make the frame suiiiciently strong, as shown in the drawing,

letters H, H, H, H, and as many horizontal rails (marked Z) and cross pieces (marked W) as may be necessary to give full suport. P At one end of the frame near the top of the upright posts I extend across a roller (marked E) secured by a pivot at each end in the eye of a movable and adjustable bolt, which bolt passes through its respective post and is secured by a nut with a handle (marked V,) on the outer side of the post. At the other end of the frame I extend across two rollers one above the other (marked D, D,) the pivots of which rollers on each side pass through the respective adjoining post, the ends of which pivots on the one side are attached to the center of a cog wheel as marked (C, C,) the teeth of which cog wheels fit into each other, the other end of the lower roller is likewise attached to the center of a cog wheel marked (T,) which is moved by a pinion vhaving a crank and handle (marked G,). The distance between these two rollers may be lessened or inl creased as may be needed by the action of levers on each side (marked S,) connected to a short bar (marked It,) having an arm (marked 1),) which passes down through a slot in the post holding the upper roller and pressing upon the pivots of this upper roller; this bar at one end being connected to the lever by means of rods (marked vO, 0,) and having an attachment at the other end to an upright hinged piece (marked N, N,) upon one end of the levers (marked 53,) is a weight (marked F,) for the purpose of sustaining the rollers in their adjustment.

I place an endless apron around the roller (marked E,) at `one end of the frame .and around the lower of the two rollers (marked D,) at the othergthe passage of lthe apron in motion thus being between the Between the folds ofl two rollers (D, D,). this endless apron (13,) there is a wooden which surface are framed'rails, or supporters tothe saidl surface mortised into the upper horizont-al or side pieces (marked Z, Z,) this wooden surface' gives support to the upper fold of the apron when the pressure of the scraper or extender is made. On each side of this frame I attach a small arm (marked M,) to the upper horizontal pieces marked Z, Z,) into these arms `are aiiixed the pivots (marked L,) of the bar of the spreader. This spreader is madeof a V shape, t-he pieces forming the sides (marked K,) being united at the apex and at the base, having a rod or bar (marked I,) extending across and *through each piece which! is pivoted through the arm (marked M,) as above named. This rod (I,) also passes through a center strip (marked J,) which center strip reaches from the apex to bar attached to the first part by screws or rivets and to the last part by the rod (I,) as named. A

This scraper, extender or compresser is more fully shown in Fig. 1, where the like parts have the same letters of reference as in Fig. 2.

I construct my scraper, extender or compresser of either metal entirely or of such stone as is susceptible of being made sufficiently smooth or of metal and wood. As may best suit my convenience or the work to which I design it. When made of metal and Wood I insert into grooves made in the lower part of the side pieces (K,) metallic plates (A, A,) of such size and depth and of such keenness as may best answer the particular use I intend to make, which plates are riveted or otherwise made fast into the pieces (K, K).

It will be seen that this scraper may be made to press down with greater or less power by means of weight upon it as occasion may require, and thus be adjusted and fitted to substances of different thicknesses.

In the first part of the operation of this apparatus upon the tanned hides and leather the scraper is made to perform a very im.- portant duty whereby the expense and time occupied in the older methods and by older means are much lessened, and the leather is made to have asmoother and more uniform surface. I allude to that part of the operations on the hide or skin by which the adherent outer skin that gives to the unnished hide its rough and scaly-like appearance, is sought to be removed. By having the edges of the scraper sufliciently fine the adherent irregular patches of the skin are scraped olf, thus leaving a very smooth surface, which adds greatly to the beauty of the leather', as well as renders it lmore durable. The scraping off then of this scurf-skin as I call it, is a leading feature of my apparatus, and which has never before been accomplished by machinery. When this scurf-skin has been removed, it has been done by hand instruments, which cannot give that uniform and regular smoothness of surface, which my apparatus gives.

By means of this machine I am enabled to scrape, press, compress, extend, and otherwise prepare and put in a condition for further dressing and finishing tanned hides, leather or any other article, readily adjusting the rollers to the thickness of the substance to be passed between them, and by means of the weight (F,) and lever (S,) to compress more or less the substance passed between. And thus by the combined action of the rollers and scraper or extender and the endless apron moved along by the action of the parts of the machine named to give to whatever substance may be acted upon a smooth, even and clear surface while at the same time I make that substance compact and firm, or loose and spongy as may be desired, or as may be best considering the purpose to which the substance or fabric is to be put.

Now what I claim as new and of my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent is- 1. The adjustable endless apron in combination with the scraper or extended for the purpose and uses as herein described.

2. I claim the adjustable scraper or eX- tender as described for l'the purpose and uses of leather dressing as herein set forth.

CHAS. SLAWSON. Vitnesses:

ABEL CHANDLER,

. BENJ. E. RANDAIL. 

